Eye-catching Photographs

The majority of home buyers start their search on the Internet, usually on real estate portals such as the Multiple Listing System (MLS). So how do you make sure your property gets noticed among the hundreds of other listings you’re competing against?

Let’s take a look at the three most effective methods for attracting maximum online interest…

Selling Your Home Online: Price

Obviously there are many factors that go into pricing your home to sell. But once you’ve established your price, pay attention to the searchers narrowing their criteria by specific price ranges.

People looking on the low end of the price scale tend to search in increments of $10,000 ($25,000 to $100,000 in the luxury markets).

So if you’ve priced your home at $350,000, for example, you’ll effectively edge out everyone searching up in the range below you. By reducing your price by just $100 to $349,900 you can open your viewing up to a whole fresh batch of viewers… and hopefully a faster sale!

Selling Your Home Online: Eye-catching Photographs

Listings with photos generally get more viewings. However, bad photographs can be just as much as a turnoff as no photos!

Here are some tips for taking photographs that sparkle:

a) Exterior shot:

Use an angle shot of your home’s exterior to show depth.

Avoid shooting the street, sidewalk, vehicles, or power lines. If it can’t be helped, crop them out with a photo editor such as Photoshop.

Include a shot of the exterior with your listing.

b) Interior shots:

Turn on lights when photographing to showcase it as light and bright.

Take photos only of key rooms such as the kitchen, large bathrooms or bedrooms. Don’t bother with hallways, ceilings, or tiny nooks.

Use a wide-angle room to capture an entire room.

Find the focal point of each room, then photograph it from different angles until you find the most eye-catching vantage point.

Selling Your Home Online: Listing Description

Your real estate agent will write your description for you. But it’s always helpful to know what makes a powerful description. Your goal as the seller is to drum up enough interest for a home viewing, but not give so much information that your buyer may eliminate your home before seeing it in person.

A good listing also covers these four key characteristics:

Location (school district, township, or area)

Asking price

Type of home (e.g., townhouse, craftsman, condo)

Number of bedrooms and bathrooms

Besides these broad characteristics, think of what drew you to your home in the first place. Was it a great view? Privacy? A bright and airy space? These are the selling points your listing should highlight. Help out your realtor by providing a short list of the key features that drew you to your current home.

Remember, the vast majority of home buyers start looking online for their perfect home. So when you’re selling your home, make sure you put these tips into play–and get top billing in the real estate portals.

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